A look at the history of Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications, with Dr Emma Wells

The Stanwick Iron Age fortifications are one of the largest and most complex Iron Age earthwork systems in Britain. Located a few miles north of Richmond, the fortifications surround the modern village of Stanwick St John. The extensive earthworks enclose approximately 766 acres and stretch for over 4 miles, making them far larger than most Iron Age hillforts in Britain.

The site dates mainly to the 1st century AD and is associated with the Brigantes, the largest tribal confederation in Britain before the Roman conquest. Archaeological evidence suggests that Stanwick functioned as an important political and economic centre for this group. The fortifications consist of massive earthen ramparts, stone revetments, and deep defensive ditches, indicating a substantial investment of labour and organisation.

Excavations carried out in 1951–1952 by the archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler suggested that the site developed in several phases. The earliest phase, dating to around AD 40, appears to have been a smaller enclosure on a low hill known as The Tofts, to the south of the church of St John the Baptist. This enclosure covered roughly 17 acres. Over the following decades, the settlement expanded dramatically.

The historical significance of Stanwick is closely connected to political conflict within the Brigantes during the early Roman period. The Brigantian queen Cartimandua ruled as an ally of the Roman Empire following the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43.

Artefacts discovered at the site include Iron Age weapons, pottery, and imported goods such as amphorae, suggesting connections with wider trade networks. After around AD 70, the importance of Stanwick appears to have declined as Roman authority strengthened in northern Britain. Today, the surviving earthworks remain an important archaeological monument for understanding Iron Age society and the transition to Roman rule.

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